Chapter 2: A Second Chance
Jia Li opened her eyes and took a deep breath. She looked around and found she was in her chamber, on her bed. She quickly sat on the bed and checked herself, particularly, her chest.
"What's this? How can I be alright?" She murmured and recalled how two arrows hit her chest. But she could not feel any pain. There was no wound, and she was absolutely fine.
Jia Li heard the door open, and the maidservants walked in, led by Court Lady Xuan.
"Good morning, Your Royal Highness. Today is the 59th birthday of the Emperor. The Crown Princess overslept," Court Lady Xuan humbly said and gestured to two maidservants to go ahead. One was holding the copper water vessel, while the other had a clean towel in her hand.
Jia Li was shocked to hear what Court Lady Xuan said. Today was her father's birthday! How was it possible? It happened yesterday. She saw her father get killed with her own eyes and...
Jia Li paused the chain of her thoughts and threw the duvet away. She ran out of the chamber, shocking Court Lady Xuan and the maidservants in her service.
Court Lady Xuan also went after the Crown Princess, wondering what happened to her.
Jia Li didn't have shoes on her feet, and she was running crazily, through the corridor of the imperial palace. Many palace servants saw their Crown Princess running bare feet, and it puzzled them.
Jia Li ascended the stairs of the main hall where the Emperor resided. The doorkeepers were startled to see the Crown Princess, who was panting.
"O-open the door," Jia Li managed to say. She wanted to see her father, to confirm if everything was real. As soon as the doors opened, she stepped in and heard her father's voice. He was conversing with her mother.
Tears formed in her eyes, and she slowly halted to see them. Both her father and mother were alive, smiling at each other.
The Empress' eyes fell on her daughter, and she was astonished to see her. "Jia Li," Empress Mingxia pronounced her daughter's name.
Emperor Tang Xiangwei glanced at his daughter. She was not in a good state. He left his seat and walked to Jia Li, asking her if she was alright. The Empress also rose to her feet, wondering what happened to Jia Li when she entered the hall in such a state.
Jia Li wrapped her arms around her father and hugged him. Tears streamed down her cheeks.
Tang Xiangwei and Mingxia were shocked to hear their daughter's weeping sound. Tang Xiangwei placed his hand on Jia Li's head and asked her why she was crying.
"Jia Li, why do you cry on such a beautiful day?" Mingxia scolded her daughter. But, when her cries became intense, both the Emperor and the Empress got worried.
"Jia Li, are you alright? Why are you weeping so much?" Mingxia asked, her voice filled with concern. Jia Li pulled away from her father and then embraced her mother.
"I-I am glad yo-you both are alive," Jia Li mumbled. Her voice was not audible, so they could not hear their daughter's words. Mingxia caressed her back and asked her to calm down.
Finally, after several minutes, Jia Li stopped crying. She sniffled and glanced at them once again. This moment was real, and she was thankful to Heaven for this.
Court Lady Xuan had come to the main hall and was anxious to see the red eyes of the Crown Princess and the pale face.
"Your Majesty, I will take Jia Li back to her manor. Please excuse us," Mingxia told her husband with her gaze low.
"Sure," Tang Xiangwei permitted them to leave. He was tense to see the state of her daughter and asked Eunuch Yang if someone put an evil eye on the Crown Princess.
"It appears that way, Your Majesty. If His Majesty wants, he can ask for a special prayer for the Crown Princess in the Shrine," Eunuch Yang advised the Emperor.
Tang Xiangwei liked the suggestion and asked him to ask a maidservant to give him insight into the Crown Princess' state.
"Yes, Your Majesty," Eunuch Yang bowed and slowly moved backward before heading out of the hall.
~~~~~~
Jia Li arrived with her mother at her manor. Empress Mingxia found out her daughter ran to see them with her bare feet. When the maidservant checked the feet of the Crown Princess, the Empress asked her to bring the Royal Physician to the chamber.
Jia Li was in deep contemplation. It could not be a dream. She was offered a second chance. She could not believe anyone around her except her father, mother, and the bodyguard, who was appointed in her mother's service.
A lot of thoughts circulated in her mind in just a few minutes, and she came out of her thoughts when her mother shook her arm.
"Crown Princess, show your feet to the Royal Physician," Mingxia said.
Zhou Jun, the Royal Physician, examined Jia Li's feet, which had a few bruises. "The injuries are minor, Your Majesty," he informed Empress Mingxia.
"That's a relief," Mingxia said and passed a tiny smile. She placed her hand above Jia Li's head and caressed her hair. After the Royal Physician cleaned the feet of Jia Li, he advised Jia Li not to walk too much.
She hummed in response. Zhou Jun bowed to them and left the chamber.
Jia Li told her mother she was alright and wanted to freshen up. Mingxia ordered Court Lady Xuan to keep a close eye on the Crown Princess and left the chamber.
After the Empress left, Jia Li got down from the bed and washed her face first. The maidservant forwarded the towel to her, and she dried her face with it. Later, she left the chamber, followed by Court Lady Xuan and the maidservants.
In the bathhouse, inside the bathtub, Jia Li recalled everything once again. She got a chance to live a life, a good life where she had to protect the Tang Empire as well.
'Who could be the conspirator? When I rebelled, Empress Dowager asked to imprison me and behead me the next morning. Today is my father's 59th birthday. Whoever he is, he will kill him and blame me,' Jia Li thought.
Her Father died of poison, which got found in her chamber later. The reason why Grand Empress Dowager took immediate action. Since when she started conspiring against her own son? Also, was she alone, or some more people were involved with her?
Jia Li had to fight against those evils by herself. She could not go, and tell her father about it because she lacked evidence. Even if her father believed her this time, the enemies would be alerted, and they might try to harm her father in another way.
Jia Li had to carefully take down her adversaries and find out every single one of them. The most important thing in this was gaining physical strength. She needed to train in silence without letting anyone know about it.
Jia Li threw her hand into the water and pronounced, "I will not let it happen."
The maidservant, who was washing Jia Li's shoulders, got confused to see this reaction of the Crown Princess. "Did I make a mistake, Her Royal Highness?" she asked.
"Did you finish?" Jia Li asked the maidservant.
"I am almost done, Your Royal Highness," the maidservant replied.
After Jia Li bathed, she came out of the bathtub. She wore a silk bathrobe, and she headed to the dressing chamber.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone